Last week, two officers were shot dead in an ambush while on meal time in a Las Vegas pizza shop.
Why? How could such a viciously evil act be perpetrated against officers doing nothing more than enjoying the comfort of meal time? The “why” is because evil lives and moves all around us, and evil never takes a lunch break.
The Las Vegas incident provides a valuable reminder of an inconvenient truth: When you are on duty wearing the uniform of a police officer, you are never “out to lunch.” Your meal time is not about relaxing and unwinding, nor casual conversation or sharing lifelong stories of friends or family. Your meal time is about getting nourishment so that you can get through the day to avoid hunger and fatigue.
We must all remember the Lakewood killings, where on a Sunday morning four officers (experienced cops, I might add) doing paperwork at a coffee shop were gunned down by the personification of evil.
The kind of evil that would perpetrate an act like that requires that you keep your tactical awareness levels on alert and constantly ready.
In addition to that heightened awareness, follow these guidelines:
1.) Choose your meal places wisely, and try not to frequent a place on a regular basis at the same exact time.
2.) Stagger your movement – especially if you work the same sector daily.
Be the watchmen of your own wellbeing. A leisurely meal is a small sacrifice for your safety.